Who will take a seat next…

So your kid is getting to that age! All those years of filtering their content is coming to an end and they will soon be able to choose what they want to watch and do it without censorship from their cautious parents.

Well, if you are a big horror and Halloween fan like myself, then this is a great day! Now the days of escaping your family and crawling into some dangerous hole to get your slasher film fix is over. You can now add scary movies to your list of pumpkin carving, trick or treating and haunted parties this Halloween. But the problem is… What movie do I pick to show my newly impressionable horror fan? You don’t want to pick something too scary and damage your little one. Also you don’t want to pick something too lame and lose the new respect they should have for this genre.

Well, need not worry no more because I have compiled a great list of Horror films that are appropriate for the younger teen. Films you can watch together that are scary but appropriate for their age, with parental guidance of course. I will list a new one each day, counting down to Halloween. I will also explain why I chose them. In conclusion, these films will gradually introduce your teen to the horror genre, without scaring them away but also without boring the life out of them.

The launch was successful! Thank you to everyone who took the time to check it out. I understand that some people were very busy with Halloween duties, especially the parents. Don’t worry, “Out of Place” the 1st episode, is still showing, so head over to http://www.aseatonatrain.com and check it out. If you love “The Twilight Zone” then come take “A Seat on a Train!”

Wishing you a horrible, ghastly, ghostly, slimy, scary, disgusting, horrific, horrible, disturbing and just plain terrifying Halloween!!!! Also don’t forget to come see the 1st episode of “A Seat on a Train” which released today in honor of this killer holiday!!! Check it out at http://www.aseatonatrain.com If you love “The Twilight Zone” then come take “A Seat on a Train!”

I know… I have no shame… I used the bonus movie to promote my TV series “A Seat on a Train.” But seriously, it is a really good show with a great first episode called “Out of Place.” If you love “The Twilight Zone” then why not come take “A Seat on a Train.” Support your local artist and check it out at http://www.aseatonatrain.com

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed “10 Halloween Horror Movies For You And Your Teen.” I wish I could erase all these films from my memory and go through this list one by one! I think my head would explode from such a list of great entertainment! I couldn’t handle it all at once. Too intense. Hope your teen copes with it better.

Please, if you do try this list with your teen, I would love to hear some feedback. These are the cream of the crop films, that will scare the crap out of you but don’t cross that line content wise. To watch such a line up all at once and never seeing one, I am undeniably jealous. Seriously, If I was to find a time machine, I would go back in time and show myself this list as a kid, once again.

Yes, I chose it! How can you not have a movie that was made specifically about Halloween, showing on Halloween? No way! You have to and that is why I chose this film!

Now, I really have to warn you about this one because it follows the basic, campy, slasher film rule. The rule is, teens who have sex will be punished! Every older slasher film follows this rule including films like “Friday the 13th,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Black Christmas” to name a few. So with this rule you are going to have some sex and nudity. But really, it’s minimal and it’s just boobies. I don’t know about you but I’ve been looking at boobies since I was a baby, so I really don’t see the big deal. Let’s grow up America! Uh oh… I smell a soap box..

(Soap Box- Really America? Boobs are bad? Has anyone ever gone to Europe, especially England or France? We really have to grow up in this department! It has gotten ridiculous! England has a boob of the week in their Daily paper for god’s sake! France is constantly using nude, sexy billboards to sell their products. They are just boobs! They serve a purpose and I don’t see why we are so puritanical about this subject! It is really ridiculous that a woman still has to fight to breast feed her baby in public! It’s a natural thing that almost every warm blooded animal in nature does! Now I understand, put a blankie over, to keep it private. There’s no reason people need to watch. Honestly, I would want a blankie just to keep the perverts from watching me. I would do it for myself, not for anyone else. I am obviously stating this because there are boobs in this film, but it’s just quick shots and is innocent, really. There is a little sexual content and some pot smoking, but other than that, the film is safe. Anyway, look at it like this, it’s like a lesson for your kid because every character who participates in these horrible activities dies a gruesome death. So your kid will be more scared to do these acts since he witnesses the consequences from this film! So, if anyone questions your parenting skills, throw that one at them! That will shut them up!)

The reasons I chose this film are…

Reason #1– The best Halloween film ever! This is a real treat! It’s not as scary as some other films you watched prior, but the campy, Halloween feeling makes up for it all. Actually, there was no script for this film. The Director, John Carpenter, wanted to make a film about Halloween, so they pieced together a bunch of elements that they found scary and made the movie. Well, this movie changed how we look at Halloween all together. It took us out of the whole MGM themed Halloween with Frankenstien and Dracula and catapulted us into a much scarier, realistic holiday. You started to see a lot more scarier costumes on the street, especially Mike Myers. There isn’t a person who has seen this film that hasn’t thought about Michael Myers at some point on Halloween. That brings me to my next reason…

Reason #2– Michael Myers. This is one of the most well known villains in horror history. Michael Myers was one of the first to start this huge movie franchise along with Freddie Kruger and Jason Vorhees. It’s hard to believe that a serial killer character, who was pieced together as they filmed, would become one of the most well known characters in Hollywood history. His whole image is a jump suit with a William Shatner mask, that they cut the eyes and mouth out of, painted white! That’s it! But his image is one of the scariest in horror movie history. Seeing Michael Myers on a dark street corner gives me the chills till this day. The emotionless mask symbolizes his lack of conscience and his taste for killing whatever crosses his path. Michael Myers is a true serial killer, who only wants to kill and destroy. He cannot be reasoned with and to top it off, he is near impossible to kill.

Reason #3– A great campy feeling. Didn’t I mention this is the best Halloween movie ever? It really is! A big part of this is the way John Carpenter sets the tone, right from the opening scene. The opening of this movie is fantastic. It starts with a black screen, then you hear this simple, creepy piano score and a single lit jack-o-lantern appears as we watch the opening credits. The music alone makes me want to hide under the couch!

Right from the opening, Carpenter hits you with halloween images, sounds and atmosphere. This film was shot so low budget, they had to shoot it in northern California, which really doesn’t have much of a fall season at all. But, Carpenter wanted the different colored leaves that symbolize fall in October and of course sets the tone for Halloween. So the crew got together and painted leaves all different fall colors and scattered them around each scene! This is the type of attention to detail that really makes this film memorable. Almost every horror film maker wants to do what John Carpenter accomplished with this film. It’s a real Cinderella man type situation. Even with a paper thin budget, Carpenter found a way to get his vision on screen. He reused the same painted leaves the whole shoot, so they didn’t waste anymore time and money creating them. Now that’s passion!

Reason #4– The music! Now, very rarely do I recommend a movie because of it’s score. But this film’s score is so iconic, it’s definitely a major reason to watch it. “Halloween’s” score is right up there with “Psycho,” “Star Wars” and “The Exorcist.” Right from the opening credits you know you are in for a scare because the music warns you. There are scenes where nothing happens but your heart jumps because the score comes in. This score is so powerful that they decided to open the film with just a jack-o-lantern, credits and this score. And let me tell you, every minute of it is fascinating as you watch the lit jack-o-lantern coming towards your screen.

Reason #5– The opening scene. The first scene, after the credits, is a scene that will stay in your mind forever. I don’t want to give it away, but it is phenomenal! It’s a little dated for today, but you have to remember, it set the tone for a lot of horror films we see today. Again, Carpenter mixes the music, visuals and mystery to catapult his viewers into the story. Once this movie starts, you are glued to the screen, especially if you watch it on Halloween.

So there it is folks, movie #10! This one isn’t as scary as a lot of the films out there but it is so fun and campy, you won’t even care. And most important of all it’s a classic.

“10 Halloween Horror Movies For You and Your Teen.” Follow this list from beginning to end! This is a great introduction into the horror genre for your teen! It will gradually introduce them to the genre, without scaring them away but also without boring the life out of them. It will also introduce them to a lot of different sub-genres and different classic stories we like to celebrate on Halloween. I know the content starts to get fishy towards the end but you really can’t enjoy this genre without some inappropriate material. Please, let me know what you think of this list? And most importantly of all, Have a horribly, scary Halloween!

Tune in tomorrow for movie #11, to watch on Halloween. A little bonus for your faith in my list.

And don’t forget to check out http://www.aseatonatrain If you love “The Twilight Zone” then why don’t you come take “A Seat on a Train.”

I just couldn’t resist! Sorry, but I have to recommend this film! This film is so good that it was the first horror film to win best picture! It also is one of the only three films in history to win all top five categories at the Oscars- Best picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and Best screenplay! The other two films that accomplished this feat are “It happened One Night” a Frank Capra film from the 30’s and yes, my favorite film of all time “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest!” Now, how could I resist putting this film on the list, when it compares to my favorite film of all time. This is a must see and is scary as… you know what’s coming… crap! (Love that I chose such a horrible signature line, goes with the holiday)

So here it comes… the warning. After you faced that horrible, gruesome werewolf in London, you now are coming face to face with a serial killer. This serial killer doesn’t wear masks and doesn’t do anything gimmicky like in the typical slasher films. No, this serial killer is methodical, blends in with the crowd and can easily be your next door neighbor or your psychiatrist… I get chills just saying it! This serial killer is smarter than the average person and knows how to manipulate his way into your mind! This is the grandaddy of all serial killers!

But I have to warn you, this film has some inappropriate content. There is nudity, but only short cuts of it. Some sexual content, but nothing showed. The language is pretty bad, including 2 mentions of the c… word. And it is violent, just as violent as the last film you watched. But this film is so phenomenal, you and your teen have to see it. To make you feel a little more comfortable, I watched it at the age of 16 and I’m still fine… I think…

The Reasons I picked this film are…

Reason #1– It won five friggin Oscars! Yeah, that’s how good this film is! It’s one of the best and the academy felt so strongly about it that it became the first Horror movie of all time to win Best Picture. Films like Jaws, Rosemarry’s Baby and The Exorcist were all up for best picture and didn’t get it. That’s how good this film is and let me tell you, it is as equally scary.

Reason #2– The Villains. Yes, I said villains… plural. Now this is no Batman movie or anything, but this film does have two awesome villains. They are so well developed that one of the villains is by far the best villain in movie history, played by Anthony Hopkins! The other villain is super scary also. But the one played by Anthony Hopkins is flawless! I love this villain so much that it goes down as the best villain of all time. Now, for me to pick this villain over my original favorite villain of all time, Darth Vader, says a lot. He has always been my favorite villain, since I was like 4, but when I saw this movie, Darth Vader took a back seat. Sorry “Star Wars.” Maybe I’m still pissed about episodes 1 thru 3!

Reason #3– The story. “Silence of the Lambs” is one of the best, complex stories I have ever seen on the screen! There is so much going on from beginning to end. There are tons of subplots and a lot of principle characters. Honestly, this screenplay must have looked like a mess at first. But they execute it perfectly. Every second of this film is interesting, unsettling and keeps you guessing right to the end! It builds gradually and the payoff at the end is nothing short of terrifying! When you are done with this film, you will hug your teen, thanking god for the life he has given you.

Reason #4– The twist! Yes, another twist! This one isn’t as story driven, but the way they set up the last scene is genius! You have no idea where this film is going! Everything is a mystery until this one point! The twist not only reveals a mind boggling shock, but it ties everything that has been happening all the way from the first scene. Trust me, you will be flabbergasted! Actually, I think you have to watch the film a few times before you really get the impact of this twist.

Reason #5– It uses a lot of true facts! One of the things that makes this film so phenomenal is the research. Both villains in this film were developed from known facts of serial killers from our history. The writer obviously did a ton of research and pieced together two very scary characters. You see traces of many real life serial killers like Ed Gein, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy and Gacy, to name a few. The writer not only developed two solid characters from this research but also put a lot of real life occurrences in the story. One of the main reasons this film is so scary is because how real it really is! These characters are so natural that you will be weary of all your friends and neighbors, knowing that any one of them could be a serial killer and you wouldn’t know it… well not until it is too late.

So grab some popcorn and snacks that don’t contain meat… trust me, you don’t want to be eating anything that contains meat during this film… Lock all your doors, turn off all the lights and get ready for the scare of your life! This film has some pretty extreme matter but after “An American Werewolf in London” I think your teen will be fine! But don’t be surprised if you catch yourself checking his/her room for a sewing kit. (you will get what I mean when you see this film!)

And don’t forget, there’s only two days till Halloween. So please check out my site http://www.aseatonatrain.com “Out of Place’ the 1st episode of “A Seat on a Train” is releasing Halloween 2013!!! If you love “The Twilight Zone” then why don’t you come take “A Seat on a Train!”

O.k. So after the last film, you’re probably sick of seeing dead people. I know I was. But at least we are not dead, for now at least. With this next film, if you appear in the spirit world looking the way you left life, then you don’t want to run into any of this next creature’s victims!

I’m taking a huge risk content wise here. Let me warn you now, this film is extremely violent, quite gory, has a little sex in it and does show some brief nudity. But I feel it is so good that we should be able to look past these minor set backs. The nudity is brief, with quick shots of the man naked as he turns back from a wolf. And the sex scene is pretty mild and quick. All the scenes have a purpose and are not put in there just for the sake it.

But let me warn you, if you thought the werewolf in “Silver Bullet” was scary, then you better grab a gun fully loaded with bullets for this one! The reasons I picked this film are…

Reason #1– Best werewolf film ever! This is the cream of the crop here! It doesn’t get any scarier than this when it comes to werewolf films! This movie is fantastic from beginning to end! If this film doesn’t scare you then you should become a Navy Seal or something, because you are one tough cookie! This is the best werewolf film ever and I think it will keep that title till the end of time!

Reason #2– It’s good and campy! This film does it the best in my eyes! “American Werewolf in London” blends old town folklore with modern day horror and they do it perfectly! Right from the opening, you know you’re in for a treat, with the foggy atmosphere, spooky sounds in a dark mysterious, small town. The town people are so rustic and mysterious. It gets deep under your skin from the opening and never loses your attention from that point on. You will be exhausted by the time this film is finished.

Reason #3– You get to compare it to “Silver Bullet.” I myself, always love to compare films with the same subject matter. By no means is “Silver Bullet” an inferior film but it is fun to compare the two. You will find that they both stick to the same, old rules but “American Werewolf in London” goes a lot further. Not many subplots in this film because from beginning to end they focus on one thing and one thing only, the big, scary werewolf!

Reason #4– The special effects! Now, I’m not one that is huge on special effects. I feel films rely on the effects more than the story itself these days. Special effects should enhance your film, not be the sole content.

Well, it’s obvious to see that this film spent a lot of time on the story! Then they went ahead and hired someone who is awesome with special effects! When you see the werewolf change, it is nothing short of amazing! They really show you how it would look if a human contorted into a wolf, with sounds to boot! This reason alone should be enough for you to watch this film!

Reason #5– It’s directed by John Landis! Remember the Michael Jackson video “Thriller?” Well here’s the master who directed it. Talk about versatility as a director, this man can do it all. Let’s see… Do you know movies like “Animal House,” “The Blues Brother’s,” “The Three Amigos,” “Coming to America…?” Well, Landis directed them all!

Believe it or not, he really hasn’t done many horror films, which makes this accomplishment that much more impressive! This man turns everything he touches into Hollywood gold! He also directed “Twilight Zone- the movie,” which is a fantastic modern day adaptation of the original stories! A must see!

But “American Werewolf” is definitely his best horror film. You will feel his comedy background come through in this film. Not only is it scary as crap but it also has a great sense of humor, making fun of the towns people and the folklore. Just like “The Evil Dead” this film will have you cringing one moment and laughing the next. This also adds to the tension because you never know when you are going to see the werewolf next.

So, pull out that gun once again and fully load this bad boy because you are going on a very scary journey into the back villages of England. You survived the first werewolf but this one is much scarier and a lot stronger! There isn’t a twist in this film but you will find that it is no way short of being twisted!

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”A Seat on a Train” series description

After a year of festivals and awards, "Out of Place," the 1st episode of "A Seat on a Train," released on Halloween 2013!
If you love "The Twilight Zone" then come take "A Seat on a Train" at www.aseatonatrain.com for free.

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